Device and method to do arteriographies and angioplasties with a balloon and without injecting a contrasting media in the vessel lumen

Abstract

A brand new device and a method to do arteriographies which allow simultaneous angioplasties by using a catheter and a balloon capable of copying the narrowed portion of the artery under study, providing the contrast required to view the artery via a contrasting medium which is circumscribed within the diagnosis balloon and which is not in relationship with the patient's tissue; therefor, the catheter has a diagnosis balloon which may be filled with the contrasting medium.

Having thoroughly described and established the nature of the present invention as well as the way same is to be implemented, what is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for doing arteriographies in a portion of an artery having an inner surface, comprising the steps of: providing an expandable, elastomeric diagnosis balloon upon a catheter, the diagnosis balloon having an outer surface;   introducing the diagnosis balloon into the portion of the artery to be arteriographed;   filling the diagnosis balloon with a contrast medium to inflate the diagnosis balloon until the outer surface of the diagnosis balloon conforms to the inner surface of the portion of the artery to be arteriographed, without deforming the inner surface of the portion of the artery to be arteriographed; and   imaging the inflated diagnosis balloon and the portion of the artery to the arteriographed.   
     
     
       2. The method of claim 1, including the steps of deflating the diagnosis balloon and removing the diagnosis balloon from the artery. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim 1, including the step of inflating the diagnosis balloon at a low pressure. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim 1, including the step of utilizing a radiopaque substance as the contrast medium. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim 1, including the step of utilizing a radiolucent substance as the contrast medium. 
     
     
       6. The method of claim 5, wherein the contrast medium is carbon dioxide. 
     
     
       7. The method of claim 1, including the steps of: providing an angioplasty balloon upon the catheter; and   after the diagnosis balloon and the portion of the artery to be arteriographed are imaged, inflating the angioplasty balloon to dilate the portion of the artery which was imaged.   
     
     
       8. The method of claim 7, including the step of deflating the angioplasty balloon and removing the angioplasty balloon from the artery. 
     
     
       9. The method of claim 8, including the steps of: after the portion of the artery has been dilated, placing the diagnosis balloon within the portion of the artery which was dilated by the angioplasty balloon;   filling the diagnosis balloon with a contrast medium to inflate the diagnosis balloon until the outer surface of the diagnosis balloon conforms to the inner surface of the portion of the artery which had been dilated; and   imaging the diagnosis balloon and the portion of the artery which had been dilated.   
     
     
       10. The method of claim 7, including the step of providing the angioplasty balloon upon the catheter, by disposing the angioplasty balloon within the diagnosis balloon. 
     
     
       11. A method for doing angiographies in a portion of an artery having an inner surface, comprising the steps of: providing an expandable, elastomeric diagnosis balloon upon a catheter, the diagnosis balloon having an outer surface;   introducing the diagnosis balloon into the portion of the artery to be angiographed;   filling the diagnosis balloon with a contrast medium to inflate the diagnosis balloon until the outer surface of the diagnosis balloon conforms to the inner surface of the portion of the artery to be angiographed, without deforming the inner surface of the portion of the artery to be angiographed; and   imaging the inflated diagnosis balloon and the portion of the artery to the angiographed.   
     
     
       12. The method of claim 11, including the steps of deflating the diagnosis balloon and removing the diagnosis balloon from the artery. 
     
     
       13. The method of claim 11, including the step of inflating the diagnosis balloon at a low pressure. 
     
     
       14. The method of claim 11, including the step of utilizing a radiopaque substance as the contrast medium. 
     
     
       15. The method of claim 11, including the step of utilizing a radiolucent substance as the contrast medium. 
     
     
       16. The method of claim 15, wherein the contrast medium is carbon dioxide. 
     
     
       17. The method of claim 11, including the steps of: providing an angioplasty balloon upon the catheter; and   after the diagnosis balloon and the portion of the artery to be angiographed are imaged, inflating the angioplasty balloon to dilate the portion of the artery which was imaged.   
     
     
       18. The method of claim 17, including the step of deflating the angioplasty balloon and removing the angioplasty balloon from the artery. 
     
     
       19. The method of claim 18, including the steps of: after the portion of the artery has been dilated, placing the diagnosis balloon within the portion of the artery which was dilated by the angioplasty balloon;   filling the diagnosis balloon with a contrast medium to inflate the diagnosis balloon until the outer surface of the diagnosis balloon conforms to the inner surface of the portion of the artery which had been dilated; and   imaging the diagnosis balloon and the portion of the artery which had been dilated.   
     
     
       20. The method of claim 17, including the step of providing the angioplasty balloon upon the catheter, by disposing the angioplasty balloon within the diagnosis balloon.